


Courting Luna Lovegood

by kalisgirl



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Community: wizard_love, F/M, Light-Hearted, Outdoor Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-19
Updated: 2012-02-19
Packaged: 2017-11-03 23:14:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/387057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kalisgirl/pseuds/kalisgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry never imagined that trying to protect Luna's reputation would be so difficult.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Courting Luna Lovegood

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Wizard_Love 2012 Prompt #50 - taking Luna on an honest-to-god date.
> 
> Many, many thanks to my beta, 13alias31, for helping me through my first Luna-fic, and my first smutfic. Your patience and cheer made all the difference.

Harry rolled onto his back. Sunlight poured through the window above the bed, stabbing at his eyelids. Groaning, he lifted his right arm to cover his eyes. The residual effects of celebrating the end of Ron's bachelorhood were making his head ache.

As he lay completely still, contemplating the effort involved in staggering to the bathroom for a hangover potion, he became aware of a strange sound. It was a soft wuffling noise coming from somewhere to his left. Harry listened carefully, trying to decide if he was ready to open his eyes to face whatever was making the breathing sounds beside him. He wouldn't put it past the guys to have smuggled something in from Seamus' job at the bestiary to help celebrate Ron's loss of freedom. And since Harry couldn't actually recall flooing home, it was entirely possible that they had left it with him as a continuation of the prank.

The wuffling was interrupted by a small snort, which was followed by a sigh and the sound of rustling fabric. It had been a while, but Harry recognized the signs of another human being sharing his bed. He winced at the realization. A magical beast would have probably been preferable, given that he couldn't remember spending time with any particular witch, let alone bringing one home with him.

"Morning, Harry."

Harry's eyes popped open behind his arm. He knew that voice. He didn't want to admit it, but he knew that voice. Reluctantly, he uncovered his eyes and rolled to face Luna Lovegood.

"Luna," he said, his voice rough. "Morning." Harry was suddenly aware of the fact that he was only wearing boxer shorts. He resisted the urge to pull the duvet up to his chin.

"That was a very nice party, wasn't it?" Luna asked, for all the world as if they were having tea, not facing each other across Harry's pillow.

"Erm..." Harry said articulately.

"Thank you so much for letting me stay here, I was in no state to apparate," she continued. "I know I should get my house onto the floo, but it's such a bother. And I would really like to encourage stack-nosed merry warbles to nest in the chimney. They bring good cheer and advantageous energies to a house, but they are terribly allergic to floo powder, so wizarding houses rarely benefit from their presence."

Harry couldn't think of a response, so he just nodded, as though he had a clue what she was talking about. That was a mistake. The motion set off the percussion set in his head, kicking his hangover into high gear. His eyes closed against the pain.

"Oh, Harry, you look pale," Luna's voice was soft against the throbbing in Harry's head. "Do you keep headache potion here?"

Harry waved an arm in the direction of the bathroom door. He was vaguely aware of Luna padding into the other room. He cracked one eye open as she left and was rewarded with a view of slim, pale legs topped with acid yellow panties and an equally lurid, clinging vest. Harry was relieved that she was wearing clothes, any clothes, even if the colours made his eyes water. Maybe he had just offered her a bed to crash in.

"Here you go," she called as she came back into the bedroom with a tray. "Headache potion, hangover potion, water and a mint from that bowl on your mantle. I rinsed the dust off the mint, so it's a little sticky."

"Thanks, Luna, this is great. You didn't need to..." Harry struggled to a seated position.

"Not a problem. I needed the headache potion myself. And I took a mint. That punch of Neville's was much too easy to drink but I think he used salvia, which always leaves me with a funny taste."

Harry quickly downed the potions Luna handed him and gulped down the water. He picked up the sticky mint, but thought better of it.

"I'm going to brush my teeth," he said, "and get cleaned up. Do you need the shower? "

Luna shook her head. "I think I'll head home. I have to feed the crups by noon or they try to eat my shoes. Thank you for letting me sleep here."

Harry tripped over his own feet as she walked past him and he noticed the distinct bruising of fingertips on her hips. Oh, shit, he thought.

"Luna, wait!" he called, grabbing her arm. "Did we... you know?"

"Have sex? No."

"But your…" he gestured at her mid-section, not sure how to put the question in to words.

Luna glanced down. When she realized what he was pointing at, she grinned. "You are a very aggressive host, Harry. When I said I'd sleep on the couch, you grabbed me and dragged me into your bed. You refused to let me leave." She was too calm about it for Harry's comfort. "And then you fell asleep. That's all."

Harry felt a mixture of relief and shame. He was happy to know that he hadn't had some kind of drunken one-night stand with Luna. He'd never indulged in that kind of behaviour, mostly because the witches that were interested were scary hero-fuckers: "Gryffindor War Heroes, shag the whole set" kind of girls. And also because Hermione would hex his bollocks off if she found out and he lived too much in the public eye for it to go unnoticed.

"Don't worry about it, Harry," Luna continued. "I've always bruised very easily, even from things that didn't hurt at all. You just have a very firm grip. Must be all that time steering broomsticks."

Harry smiled slightly at Luna's reassurances. He didn't think he'd ever seen her _not_ react calmly, even during the war. She was the only person he'd met who had come through imprisonment without a hint of emotional trauma. It was admirable, he felt, but it was also slightly frightening – how could a person be kept in a dungeon for months on end and not come out even a little fucked up?

"Must be," he agreed. "I'm sorry all the same. I have some arnica in the washroom, if you want to wait a moment."

He went into the washroom, gave his teeth a brisk clean, splashed water on his face, and grabbed the arnica. When he returned to the bedroom, Luna was sitting on his sturdy old trunk dressed in the lime-green and pink dress robes that she'd worn to the party and reading the Daily Prophet. The robes were so bright that their colours were reflecting off the paper.

No, wait.

Harry grabbed the paper from Luna's hands, crumpling the edges. He felt slightly dizzy. There, on the front page, was a photograph of him grabbing Luna by the hand and wrestling her into a fireplace. She was gripping his shoulder as they tumbled into the floo, and they were both laughing. The headline read "Potter's New Flame?!?!"Harry crushed the paper into a ball.

"Oh, fuck," was all he could say. "Shit, Luna. I'm sorry."

"What for?" she asked, pulling the newspaper from his hands. "It's your copy, you can damage it all you want. Mine is waiting at home, intact. Unless the crups managed to get it."

Harry shook his head. "No, not that. I mean, sorry for the front page. The gossip. I should know better than to do stuff like that."

"Harry, you were at a party for your friends." Luna stood and took his hands. "If you can't be yourself at Ron's stag party, well, that's just sad. Don't worry about it."

"But…"

"You can't live every day like the press is after you. And I don't care what they say about me. So don't worry about it." Luna's voice held a hint of impatience.

Harry squeezed her hands tightly, noticing as he did so that they were cool and calloused in his grip. "Thank you, Luna. But I still think we should go out together next week."

"Why?" Luna's expression was puzzled.

"Just so it doesn't look like I took you home for a one-night stand."

Luna pulled her hands from his. "Harry, how many ways can I tell you, I don't care!" Harry revised his early theory that Luna faced every situation calmly. Her voice was rising, and pink was blooming in her cheeks. He felt a sudden, unexpected surge of arousal, but pushed it down. If ever there was a time to find Luna attractive, this was not it.

"I know, Luna," he said, reaching for her hands again. "But I do. And also, Hermione will kill me if I let the Prophet make up lies about you. So, a date? Monday's no good for me, but Tuesday could work."

Luna stared at him for a moment. Her pale eyes were drilling into his, her lips pressed into a firm line. It was the most intense he'd ever seen Luna look, and Harry had to hope she didn't look down and notice the effect her gaze was having on his boxer shorts.

"Make it Friday. Come to my house at seven."

With that, she turned on the spot and vanished. The crack of her apparition echoed in the air and Harry sighed. He felt irritable, tired, and turned on. He had just realized that Luna was sexy. He had just set up a fake date with her. There was no way this was going to end well.

 

Friday rolled around too quickly for Harry's liking. He had spent the weekend talking Hermione, Ginny, and Molly Weasley out of their respective rages. Once he'd revealed his plan to take Luna for dinner, much of their anger had disappeared, but they were still furious with him for making Luna front page gossip. Since he agreed with them, there wasn't much Harry could say.

He had made reservations at one of Diagon Alley's medium-posh restaurants, where he knew they would be seen, but where Luna wouldn't be _too_ out of place. Harry had thought briefly of just taking her down to the pub, but Ginny actually hit him with a book when he mentioned the idea.

"Moron," she said, affectionately. With her wand, she retrieved the book she had thrown before continuing, "If you want the papers to think that you're dating Luna, it has to look like more than mates at the pub. Otherwise, they'll just name you 'friends-with-benefits' and my mother will hex off your eyebrows."

So Harry owled a proper restaurant and put ice on his bruised shoulder. He could have asked Hermione to heal it, but he didn't want to risk her hitting him, too. When it came to relationship advice he sometimes regretted the fact that his closest friends were women. Well, except Ron, who was no help because he had had all of two girlfriends. The girls seemed to assume that Harry knew the girl rules of dating and got upset when he didn't, but they wouldn't actually _tell_ him the rules. It was frustrating.

It wasn't like he had the best grounding in how to deal with girls. Everything he knew about girls he had learned from books or Weasleys. His early education had come from Aunt Petunia's stash of Mills & Boon, the only books kept in the Dursely house. The boys in the dorm had provided further instructional aides, but while it illustrated the physical act in explicit detail, wizard porn was no use when it came to non-sexual aspects of a relationship.

He had watched Ron and Hermione and envied their school-day sweethearts story. That hadn't worked out for him. Maybe it was a question of passion - not too little, but too much. He and Ginny had had a healthy sex life but they also fought like cats in sack. Eventually they were fighting more often than they were fucking, so they had called it off. She had moved on, dating her way through half a Quidditch team before settling into a relationship with Zacharias Smith. Harry had gone on a whole bunch of first dates, and even managed some short flings, but he had never found anyone he wanted to share his flat with, let alone his life.

All he wanted tonight was to have a pleasant fake date with Luna to get the press, and Molly, off his back. Then he and Luna could go back to being friends and, with luck, he could stop thinking about her in the shower in the mornings. Because that was just wrong, to wank over someone he had been friends with for more than a decade. It made him feel like a pervert, but at the same time, he couldn't seem to stop.

Harry sighed deeply and opened his wardrobe to get a clean set of robes. As he looked at the row of black on black clothing, he wondering what Luna would be wearing. Something painfully bright and ridiculously styled, certainly, and probably inappropriate for La Scala. He should have warned her where they were going – not that it would have made much of a difference, given her taste in clothes.

Shit. He hadn't told Luna where they were going for dinner – that was a recipe for disaster. After he and Ginny had chosen the restaurant, they had made sure that all the gossip reporters and photographers knew, but Harry had forgotten to tell Luna. Double shit. Pulling on the first set of robes he touched, Harry ran his fingers through his hair and turned to the mirror.

"Don't worry about it, dear," the glass said. "I don't think she cares about how you look."

Harry resisted the urge to stick his tongue out at the mirror and apparated away.

 

He found Luna sitting on her front steps. The Lovegood house had been completely rebuilt since the war, but it still looked like it would fall down given the slightest provocation. The stairs where Luna perched were made of driftwood and held up by drystone pilings. They appeared treacherous, but Harry knew that the spells that bound them together were stronger than Muggle concrete.

As Harry approached, Luna stood. Her outfit – Harry wasn't sure that a collection of scarves and flowers counted as a dress – was eye catching, particularly in how much of Luna it didn't cover. He had a momentary urge to trace his hands over the daisies that covered her breasts, but pushed it down firmly. However much his sex drive appreciated Luna's dress sense, he doubted the other diners at La Scala would be as approving.

"Are you ready to go?" Luna asked, walking over to him and taking his hand. Harry stared at her in confusion but didn't get a chance to reply before he felt the disorienting twist of side-along apparition.

When the world stopped spinning, Harry found himself in a forest clearing. The mid-summer sun shone through the treetops, speckling the magical beasts that had gathered. Harry stared in disgust and confusion, then turned to Luna.

"It's the annual thestral foaling, Harry," she said, as if that explained everything.

"And the unicorns are here why?" he asked, glanced over at the group of magical horse-like beasts. The thestrals and unicorns were standing close together, nuzzling each other's manes and making horsey sounds. It was bizarre, the mixture of beauty and horror.

"They have come to celebrate the birth of the next generation of thestrals. Unicorns like babies."

"Thestral babies?" Harry couldn't keep the skepticism from his voice.

"You associate these creatures with death, but remember that they are living beings like us. They, and the unicorns, celebrate the foaling because it affirms that life comes anew. The fact that you can see thestrals means that you know death, which means you have a greater understanding of the value of life, and new life. Tonight we celebrate being alive, Harry."

With that, Luna walked away. Harry watched her make her way through the crowd of magical beasts, rubbing forelocks, whispering in ears and feeding the animals treats of some sort. When she finally made her way back to him, Harry saw that all the flowers were gone from her outfit. He tried hard not to stare at her exposed breasts and thought inanely, _She really can't go to La Scala dressed like that._

"I packed a picnic," Luna said, rearranging her scarves. "Would you like some pumpkin juice?"

Harry shrugged and resigned himself to the fact that his pretend date wasn't going to go as planned.

 

Two hours later, Harry and Luna were sprawled out on a blanket, debating the merits of various ways to train her crups out of their shoe-eating habits. Harry flopped on his back, his sides sore from laughing at her description of one particularly destructive pup and its battle with a pair of boots. Rolling his head to face Luna, he glanced over her shoulder at the clearing.

"They're leaving."

"Yes, they go into the woods to foal."

Harry tried to hide his relief. He had been able to ignore the animals during their dinner, but he hadn't been looking forward to watching the birthing process.

"This is a very magical time, Harry," Luna said. "A very powerful time. Can you feel it?"

Harry looked down at her. Luna lay on her back, her hair gathered over one shoulder and her skin pale in the fading light. Her eyes were wide and silvery. Harry felt a spike of arousal run down his spine and pool in his groin. His mind flashed to the image of Luna in his bedroom, in her underclothes. Something must have shown in his face, because Luna lifted her hand to caress his cheek.

"Are you going to kiss me, Harry?" she asked, in the same tone she had used when asking if he liked the salad.

Harry blinked at her. "I…"

"I'd like you to," she continued as though he hadn't spoken. "I've been thinking about you a lot since last weekend, and I decided that I'd like to kiss you."

Her hand moved from Harry's cheek to the back of his neck, and she pulled him down. Harry barely had time to adjust his balance before his lips met hers and all his thoughts scattered. Luna's lips were soft, slightly damp. She nipped at his mouth and slid her tongue along his lower lip. Harry gasped and shifted so that he was lying partly on top of her, his forearms on either side of her head. His hands slid into her hair. The fine strands tangled in his fingers as he tilted Luna's head to deepen the kiss.

Luna twisted her body beneath Harry's, making him shudder and moan. He felt himself tighten, hardening, against her thigh, and rocked his hips into the cradle of her thighs. Luna flung her head back, and her nails bit into Harry's scalp. He lost himself in the feeling of his cock against her warmth, her breasts against his chest.

Luna moved her hands from his hair to the fastenings of his clothes. Harry rolled to his side and helped her to strip off his robes and the shirt he wore under them. She grinned up at him as she raked her nails down his chest, tweaking a nipple along the way. His back arched and he bit his lip, hard. When her hands brushed the front of his shorts, Harry's cock jumped at the sensation and he grabbed her hands away.

He leaned down to kiss her mischievous smile, releasing her hands so that he could use his to tug at her clothes. The scarves that covered her were flimsy, but tightly fastened. Harry tugged at the fabric over her breasts for a few moments before giving up with a growl. Her nipples were hard peaks under the silky material, and Harry couldn't resist moving down her body to tease one with his mouth.

Luna moaned her approval, dragging her fingers through his hair to dig her nails into his shoulders. Harry smiled against her breast and gently bit her other nipple. She arched up beneath him, wrapping her legs around his waist to pull him closer between her thighs. He took the hint and began to move a hand downwards.

He was fighting with the fabric around her waist when he heard Luna whisper something. Looking up, he saw her drop her wand to the blanket. In the same moment, the invisible fastenings holding the scarves together dissolved. Harry watched with appreciation as they slid from her body, revealing pale, perfect skin. The tight buds he had been teasing were a few shades darker. Unable to resist, he brushed his fingertips across her nipples and enjoyed the sensation of her shuddering beneath him.

The feeling of Luna's hands sliding down his sides to hook into the waistband of his shorts reminded him of what he'd been doing before her clothing fell apart. Harry ran his hand further down Luna's body, brushing away scarves as he went. As he brushed her hipbone, she made a mewling sound. He smiled against her breast and continued moving his hand lower. She was radiating heat, and the sensation of her wet warmth surrounding his fingers made Harry's cock pulse.

Focusing on Luna's reactions, he tried to ignore the aching need in his own groin. She had other plans, though. Harry felt her long fingers glide along the elastic on his shorts until they reached the front. He gasped against her skin as she reached inside and wrapped her hand around him. He couldn't stop himself from thrusting into her grip. She chuckled lightly and squirmed under his fingers. Harry grinned and kissed her nipple, sucking lightly.

With a little experimentation, they found a rhythm that made them both moan. Harry's entire world narrowed to the feeling of her fingers and his. Suddenly, Luna let out a sharp cry and Harry felt her body tense under his. She squeezed his cock so hard it was pleasurable and painful in the same moment. Then she relaxed and he smiled.

He slid back up to kiss Luna's breasts, her neck, her lips. As he settled on top of her, he groaned at the sensation of her wet heat against his aching cock. Luna's hips rolled against his, and Harry rose up and pushed his shorts off. When he gently teased her clit with his fingers, her legs spread further apart. Harry was about to slide into her when his mind brought up the sight of Luna talking with the unicorns. He pulled back suddenly, causing Luna to moan and open her eyes.

"What is it?" she asked softly.

"I don't want to hurt you," he said, remembering the pain that he had caused Ginny during their first time.

"You won't, Harry," Luna said reassuringly, "but thank you for saying it."

She moved her hands down his back and gripped his hips. Harry shuddered as she pulled him back down to her. He slid inside her slowly, watching her face for any signs of discomfort. The feeling of her smooth, slick warmth surrounding him was incredible and Harry had to bite his lip to hold back a cry. Luna's fingers dug deeply into his hips and she arched up underneath him.

"Oh yessss," she hissed. "Please, Harry, more,"

Harry couldn't have denied her anything. He rested his forehead against Luna's and slid almost all the way out of her. He rested his weight on one arm, moving his other hand to her breast and twisting her nipple until she bucked up under his body, sending a shudder down his spine. He thrust down into her, causing them both to gasp. Luna reached up and tangled her fingers in his hair, pulling him down for a fierce kiss.

Harry rocked into her, again and again, his rhythm guided by her teeth on his neck, her hands in his hair, her legs wrapped around his hips. He buried his face in her neck, kissing, biting, gasping, as he thrust into her. He felt his body tighten, his climax close, and found himself moaning her name. Luna pulled his hand away from her breast and guided it lower. Together, they massaged her until Harry felt Luna shake and clench beneath him, sending him over the edge.

Luna kissed his neck and cheek as the last few spasms passed through Harry's body.

"That was lovely, Harry," she whispered against his cheek. "Thank you."

Harry kissed her cheek as he slid out of her body. He grabbed his wand to cast cleaning spells, and then he rolled on to his side and pulled Luna into his arms, her back to his chest. She reached for her wand and charmed the blanket to wrap around them.

"I'm glad you enjoyed your first time," Harry said quietly. "It only gets better from here."

Luna went still against him, and then started laughing.

"I wasn't a virgin, Harry."

"But, the unicorns? Don't they only like innocence?"

"Not innocence, Harry, purity," Luna said patiently. "And they care about the spirit, not the body. If you have a pure soul, they don't care about whether you're a virgin or not."

Harry wasn't certain what exactly she was talking about, but he was relieved that he hadn't deflowered one of his oldest friends. That would have made an already strange situation even more awkward. As it was, he was going to have to convince Luna that they still needed to go on a proper date to satisfy the press and his friends. And decide what to do about the fact that he had had sex, great sex, with Luna Lovegood. Harry sighed.

"Oh Harry, look!" Luna turned in his arms and pointed to the clearing. Harry watched as the thestral foals wobbled their way into the clearing. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of the wobbly creatures – they were still creepy-looking, but in a way, they were cute.

"Aren't they adorable?"

He dropped a kiss on Luna's bare shoulder. _She_ was adorable, he decided. And warm and sexy. Harry grazed his hand up from her hip to her breasts. He wasn't going to waste any more time tonight thinking.

 

Saturday morning, Harry was puttering around his flat when his fireplace burst into green flame. Ginny's head appeared, her hair still unbrushed.

"Have you seen the Prophet?" she asked.

"Good morning to you, too, Ginny," Harry said, crouching down by the flames.

"Not really," she replied. "You're still in trouble, you idiot. What happened with Luna?"

Harry felt his face flush as his mind flashed back to what had happened with Luna. Twice. "Uh…"

"I mean," Ginny continued sharply, "What happened with the plan of taking Luna to a nice restaurant and getting the press, and my mother, off your case?"

"We went somewhere else. She took me there before I could explain where we were supposed to go."

Ginny shoved her hands into her hair and made a growling sound. "Great! So you guys went off on your own and now everything is even worse."

Harry gaped at her. "Worse? We missed our reservation. So we have to try again next week. What's the problem?"

"The problem, you idiot, is that the maitre d' assumed that you'd stood her up. Or at least, that's what he told the Prophet."

"Sorry, I guess," Harry figured an apology was probably a good idea, even if he wasn't sure if any of this was his fault. "What can I do?"

Ginny sighed. "I don't know," she admitted. "But if you could explain to the maitre d' what happened… maybe that would help."

"Fine, I can do that."

"And get Luna out on a proper, in-public date."

"I'm working on it," Harry said. "It's harder than it sounds."

"You thought this was going to be easy?" she asked with a laugh. "How long have you known Luna?"

"Shut up, Gin," Harry smiled. "I said I'm working on it."

"Well, work faster, I can only hold off my mother for so long." Ginny winked and disappeared from the flames.

 

Hermione's hen party was in full swing. Harry huddled in the corner of his booth, watching in awe as his best friend screeched like a harpy and hurled back another shot of pink liquor. He was the only man in the party, aside from the stripper who had dropped by briefly to set the girls into a higher degree of frenzy. When Harry had questioned his attendance at a hen party, Hermione had said that she wasn't having the party without her best friend: either he would join them or she would bring all the girls to his flat.

Hermione had decided that she didn't want to deal with the same paparazzi problems that Ron's party had had, so they were gathered at a night club in the Muggle town next to Hogsmeade. Hermione had arranged a temporary apparition shelter near the club, and Harry had happily agreed to be the designated apparator so that the witches could all drink to their heart's content. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but now, watching his friends act like madwomen, he wasn't so sure.

"Harry!" Luna flopped down on the bench opposite. She had a pink sparkly tiara perched on her head. It matched the Muggle dress that she wore, Harry noticed. It was a style that Harry remembered from his childhood, shiny and tight on top with a puffed out, crinkly looking skirt that barely reached mid-thigh. Her shoulders were bare, and Harry found himself staring at her collarbones and thinking about how they had tasted that night in the forest.

"Having fun?" she asked. "You don't look like it."

"Not really," he admitted. "It was fun to visit with everyone at first, but…"

"But this kind of stuff is only fun when you're drinking, too." Luna's smile was mischievous. Harry had to resist the urge to lean forward and kiss it away.

"Something like that," he said, finally. "Are you having fun?"

"Not really, but it's polite to pretend that I am." Luna took a sip of her drink.

"Need another one of those?" Harry asked.

"That won't help," she said. "I don't like the taste of Muggle drinks. This is fizzy juice."

"Should have snuck in some Firewhiskey, huh?"

"Good idea. I'll keep that in mind for next time." One of the girls called Luna's name. "I should go pretend to have more fun. See you later, Harry."

Harry smiled as Luna made her way over to the rest of the hen party. He took a moment to admire her legs, and then shook his head. Openly ogling his friend was a sign that he needed some fresh air. Signaling to Hermione that he was going outside, he pushed his way through the crowd and out the door. As he closed his eyes and breathed in the strange smells of a Muggle street, Harry's thoughts circled around Luna.

In the weeks since their date in the forest, they had exchanged owls daily, sometimes several times a day. Harry had learned that he really enjoyed Luna's slightly off-centre view of the world and found himself anticipating each owl. He thought she liked corresponding with him, too, but she had dodged every one of Harry's attempts to take her out on a 'proper' date. They hardly seen each other since that night in the forest, and Harry had started to wonder if she was at all interested in going out with him again.

"Harry Potter!"

A voice pulled Harry from his thoughts.

"Take me home, Harry Potter!" it said, as warm arms wrapped around his neck and a cloud of hair tickled his face. For a ridiculous moment, he imagined that his chat with Luna had made her decide that she _was_ interested. But then he breathed in amber and patchouli and looked down into Parvati Patil's eyes.

"The look on your face!" she giggled, anchoring her arms more tightly around his neck. Harry reached up and freed himself. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her to the apparition point. Parvati was disturbingly wobbly on her feet, making Harry worry about the possibility of barf. Before he could ask, she reassured him.

"Don't worry, I've never been sick during a side-along, no matter what I've had to drink. Dean calls it my super-power."

"A witch with a super-power, huh?" Harry laughed. "Brace yourself."

They whirled into the apparition and landed in a Hogsmeade side street. Harry helped Parvati up the steps of her building and knocked on the door. After a few moments, a pajama-clad Dean Thomas appeared. Harry tipped Parvati into his friend's arms.

"Thanks, mate," Dean said over his girlfriend's head. "How've you been, man? I don't think I've seen you since Ron's thing. You're dating Luna now, yeah?"

"I don't know," Harry admitted.

"Well, when she lets you know, you guys should come around for dinner," Dean offered with a grin. "Anyway, I'd invite you in, but I better get some water and potions into this one before she passes out." He lead Parvati into the flat and closed the door.

For the next couple of hours, Harry shuttled drunk witches home and mulled over Dean's words. Finally, he was left with Hermione leaning on one arm and Luna tucked under the other. Hermione was stumbling; Luna was yawning.

"Are you good to go, Hermione?" he asked again.

"Shhure fing," she slurred.

"No barfing?"

"No barfing," she agreed.

"Okay." Harry turned to Luna. "We'll just get her home and then to your place."

"I'm fine to go on my own, Harry," Luna said. "I wasn't drinking."

"I don't mind," he said. "Although I apologize if there's barf."

"No barfing," mumbled Hermione, making Luna smile.

"Alright, let's go," Luna said.

Harry sent them twisting to Hermione's flat, and together they delivered Hermione into Ron's waiting hands. She promptly vomited on his feet, but Ron reassured Harry that it was repayment for similar behaviour after his stag party. Luna performed cleaning spells while Harry helped Ron carry Hermione to bed.

As they made their way back downstairs, Ron stopped Harry.

"Luna, mate, she's a good girl, yeah?"

Harry waited, wary. Ron had never commented on any of Harry's relationships since Ginny.

"But she's not, you know, normal. She's never going to be normal, or do normal things, right?"

"I guess," Harry said, unsure where Ron's ramblings were leading.

"Hermione says that the only way she can get Luna to do normal things is by bribing her. Which reminds me," Ron brushed past Harry and continued down the stairs. He grabbed a dragon hide bag from the sideboard and joined Luna at the front door.

"Here's the stuff from Hermione. She says to be careful about sunlight and something else I forgot. Maybe you should just lock it up until I get her to owl you."

Luna nodded, her eyes fixed on the bag.

"And she said you should keep the dress," Ron continued, handing over the bag. "And I agree. It kinda suits you."

"Thank you, Ronald. And please thank Hermione for me." Luna said, her eyes never leaving the bag. Harry crossed to her side, slightly concerned about her behaviour.

"I will." Ron grinned, "And you should take Harry home now. Put him out of his misery."

"Misery?" Luna asked, finally looking up. Her gaze met Harry's and she raised her eyebrows. "Are you miserable, Harry?" He tried to look as un-miserable as possible.

"You know what I meant, Luna." Ron was laughing. "Men are thick about this sort of thing, remember. And Harry's worst than most."

Harry felt himself flushing at Ron's words. But then Luna smiled up at him and he decided that he didn't care. She had a look in her eyes that he remembered from their night in the woods.

"I will make everything perfectly clear, Ronald," she said. "Thank you for the reminder. Have a good night."

Harry nodded at Ron as he closed the door, not certain if he wanted to thank or punch his best friend. Luna took his arm, but before he could do anything, he felt the twist. When they landed in front of Luna's house, Harry smiled. She took his hand and led him up the front steps and into the hall.

"Wait here," she said, darting away into the kitchen. Harry toed off his boots and shrugged out of his jacket. After a few moments of rustling and banging noises, Luna reemerged without the dragon hide sack.

"What was that?" Harry asked. "Or do I even want to know?"

Luna grinned. "You're learning," she said approvingly. "And no, you probably don't want to know, not now. It's a long story, and we have better things to discuss."

"Oh, yes?" Harry asked, trying to keep his voice level. He noticed suddenly that Luna had snuck up on him; she was standing inches away."

"Yes."

"Like what?"

"Like the fact that you insist that we go out for dinner at La Scala when you know full well that I have never eaten at that restaurant and never would."

"We could go somewhere else," Harry offered.

"We did," she pointed out.

"Somewhere else that's not in a forest."

"And why would we do that?"

"So people would know that we didn't have a one-night stand?" Harry knew he sounded weak. He still wasn't entirely certain that she didn't consider him a casual fuck.

"We didn't have sex that first time, so it wasn't a one-night stand," Luna said with cool logic. Harry tensed up, waiting for the rest of her explanation. "And the foaling night was our first date, not a one-night stand." Harry felt his shoulders relax. Luna shook her head, and took Harry's hands in hers. "But why should we care if people know that?"

Harry had a feeling this was one of those times he was going to say the wrong thing. But he plunged forward anyway. "You don't care. But I do, because my friends care. Hermione. Molly Weasley. The people we were with tonight. I care about what they think."

Luna nodded. "I admit that is important. I care about these people, too. I don't understand why we have to inform them of our relationship by having our photograph in the paper, however. We could just owl them."

Harry sighed and squeezed her hands. "I think you're being intentionally dumb, Luna." When she peeked up at him from under her lashes and pressed close to him, he realized he was correct.

"I hate being in the public eye," he said. "And I'm sure you hate it, too. But if we do this the once, it will get everyone off our backs. If you do this for me, I will…" he wasn't sure how to bribe her.

"Do something particularly special for our second date? Because dinner at La Scala is not my idea of a proper date." Luna asked. Harry's heart jumped at her words. A second date, that's exactly what he wanted. If it meant staging some elaborate publicity stunt, so be it.

"I will take you on the best second date ever," Harry promised, "if you will let me take you out on a 'proper' date first."

"I think that you will," Luna said thoughtfully. "It's a deal."

 

Harry knew from the moment he arrived at Luna's house that their 'proper date' was going to be a disaster. She was sitting on her front steps wearing the pink dress from Hermione's hen party, her hair a tangle of braids, ribbons and bright pink feathers. As she stood, Harry's attention was caught by her long, bare legs and he was tempted to call off dinner and skip right to his second date plans.

"Ready, Harry?" Luna jumped off the last step with a spin that made her skirt fly up.

Harry grinned as she hooked her arm through his, and he leaned down to kiss her before apparating to the restaurant. Hand in hand, they made their way in. The look of shock on the maitre d's face was hilarious. Even better was the man's horror as Luna rejected the out-of-the-way spot they were directed to and planted herself at a table in front of the picture window.

"Didn't fancy sitting in the corner?" he asked as they settled in with their menus.

"I like the view from here," she said. Harry looked down at the collection of gawping passers-by on the street below them.

"So do those two," Harry said, sending a warning glare at a pair of teenaged wizards who had stopped to stare at Luna's legs.

"Well, I did wear my shiniest knickers," Luna grinned as she crossed her legs, causing one of the boys to flush beet red. "But really, look." She gestured at the horizon and Harry noticed Diagon Alley's historic buildings with Muggle London rising through shimmering smog behind it.

"I love it when worlds collide," she said. "That's when the most interesting things happen."

Their waiter came over, interrupting the conversation. From that point on, the evening descended into chaos. Luna's appearance created a small traffic jam on the sidewalk outside the restaurant. The chef came storming out of the kitchen to fight with her about what she wanted changed in her meal. Paparazzi burst into the restaurant to snap photographs and brawled with the wait staff.

Luna stayed completely calm through it all, and Harry found himself unable to resist moving his chair around so that he could easily kiss her whenever he felt the need. She seemed to approve of this choice, taking advantage of his closeness to tangle her feet with his and lean against his shoulder as they fed each other bites of their meals. Harry wondered if he should feel embarrassed by their public display but decided that if Luna didn't care, he didn't either.

The instant Harry tossed his napkin on the table, a somewhat scuffed-up waiter appeared.

"Would you like anything for dessert?" he asked, clearly hoping they would refuse.

Luna looked up at Harry, mischief in her eyes.

"What do you think, Harry?"

He watched the waiter's shoulders tense.

"I have dessert ready someplace else," he said finally. The waiter failed to hide his relief as he turned to signal the maitre d', who hurried over with the bill.

Harry settled the tab while Luna went to the loo. When she returned, she slipped her hand into his pocket and gave him a look that made him nervous. He led her out the door before asking, "Should I warn them not to let anyone in the loo?"

"No, no," Luna frowned. "Well, yes, actually. That room is terrifying. There are seven mirrors, which can be dangerous, and the fumes of cosmetic potions and scent are quite flammable. And the wallpaper pattern could send a doxy into convulsions." Harry lifted his eyebrows and she laughed. "But I didn't do anything dangerous in there. Check your pocket."

Harry reached his hand into his robes and felt smooth, slippery fabric. He stopped walking and turned to Luna.

"Should I be looking at this on the street?" he asked, suspicious.

Luna's smile was as close to a smirk as Harry had ever seen and he felt his body tighten.

"Alright, now that we've had our proper date, let's have our second date," she suggested. "You said there was dessert?"

 

Luna was lying on her back on the grass, using her wand to trace lines of light in the air.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked as he unpacked the dessert basket.

"Making constellations," she said absently, drawing her wand down to connect two points.

"Which ones?" He pulled the cork from a bottle of Molly's elderflower wine and filled two glasses.

"I haven't named them yet." She glanced in his direction. "Want to help?"

Harry handed her a glass and squirmed down until his head was beside hers. The lines in the air joined stars that he knew were part of official constellations, but Luna's drawings actually _looked_ like something.

"I think that one should be called Kreacher," she pointed at a shape that actually did look a bit like the house-elf's profile, prominent snout and all.

"I think he'd like that," Harry said.

"Good. Thank him for all this," she waved vaguely at the food and wine.

Harry smiled. Luna hadn't bothered to pretend surprise when he'd walked her to the field behind her house and she'd seen the dozens of candles that Kreacher had set up while they were away. She'd turned to him, her eyes wide, said "Harry, it's so beautiful. Like a field of Glimmering Mallowblossoms," and hugged him fiercely.

Harry sipped his wine while Luna created designs in the sky. She was naming them as she drew, and he found himself resting his head against hers, trying to see the stars through her eyes. There was Kreacher, a centaur, a wizard in formal robes and a top hat, and a toasting fork.

"You try it," Luna said after a while. "The charm is easy."

Harry searched the sky for a bit, and then he found it. He muttered the charm and drew a few quick lines.

"There." He turned his head to watch Luna's face. She tilted her head back and forth for a few moments, and then turned to meet his eyes.

"The Sorting Hat!" she exclaimed. "With its ragged tip, mouth and all! Good eye, Harry!"

Harry grinned, amazed and pleased that he'd managed it. Unable to resist, he rolled closer and covered her smile with his mouth.

Luna twisted to meet his kiss, her hands coming up to pull at Harry's robes. She moved one hand down his side and he suddenly remembered the something she'd slipped into his pocket earlier. He reached down and pulled out the ball of fabric before she could.

"What is this?" he asked, keeping his fist closed.

Luna laughed. "I think you know," she said.

Harry liked that she didn't play shy or bashful. He shook out the knickers and dangled the scrap of fabric from one finger. In the twilight he couldn't make out the color, but they reflected the candle light enough for him to know that they were as bright and sparkly as everything else Luna wore.

"Your best pair?" he asked.

"My _shiniest_ pair," she corrected. "Would you like to see them on?"

"Very much." Harry's groin tightened at the idea.

"Right then" Luna sat up and waved her wand. The ties and zips that held her dress together released, and the pink fabric fell to pool at her waist. She wasn't wearing a bra. Harry lay still, holding out the knickers and trying hard not to reach for her.

Luna wriggled a little, raising her hips, and then the dress was flying into the darkness behind them. Harry had to shift his hips to adjust his robes around his growing erection. Luna reached out and snatched the panties from his hand. She stood up, pale, naked and gorgeous.

Harry sat up to peel off his robes and shirt, and then fell back onto the grass to watch Luna. She stepped into the panties and slid them up her legs, settling them on her hips with shimmy and a smile. She stood still for a moment, and then laughed.

"Are you going to lie there all night?"

Her voice was affectionate, not mocking, and Harry grinned. Luna's matter-of-fact manner was hard to resist.

"Did you have other plans?" he asked.

"You could start by telling me what you think of my knickers." She stepped delicately across the grass until she had one foot on either side of Harry's hips.

He stared up. "I like them."

"Good. On our next date, I can wear my most colourful pair."

Harry propped himself up on one elbow and grabbed her hand. He tugged gently until Luna knelt over his hips. As he smoothed his hands up her sides, he decided that he really needed to see every single pair of Luna's knickers. He smiled and pulled Luna down for a kiss, thinking happily of all the dates, real dates, he had to look forward to.


End file.
